Heel-breast-scouring machine.



L. e. FREEMAN.

HEEL BREAST SCOURING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED MAY 7. 1914.

1,244,310. Patented 001:. 23, 1917.

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L. s. FREEMAN.

HEEL BREAST scounme MACHINE.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I LOUIS G. FBEEMAN, 01F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES E". FREEMAN, TB'USTEES, BOTH OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

HEEL-BREAST-SGOURING MACHRT Patented oct. as; rare.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 7, 1814. Serial No. 838,850.

To all whom it may comer n:

Be it known that 1, Louis G. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Heel-Breast-Scouring Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is a machine for scouring and polishing heel breasts of boots and shoes and is intended especially to utilize an abrasive belt for this purpose and to employ a working fixture over which the belt is led, which fixture will be preferably of substantially the same curvature of breast as the shoe heels to be operated upon. My present machine is an improvement over the machine shown and described in In prior copending application, Serial No. 76,520, and contemplates the provision of ad ustable means whereby the machine ma advantageously employed with a/ arge variety of working fixtures, such fixtures having widely varying working arcs or forms, and the machine having adjustable means to enable the belt to more satisfactorily conform with the particular curve of any fixture. To this end, an important feature ofmy present apparatus consists in an adjustable swinging arm or arms on which the guiding means for the abrasive belt 1s carried, so that the belt may be adjusted relatively with the particular curve of a working fixture, to enable the-working belt to more accurately cooperate with the fixture throughout the entire extent of the la"- ter, and to lead the belt tangentially with the curve of the fixture, or on a sharp curve for better clearance of the sides of the heel, as may be desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved belt guiding and tightening construction. I have discovered that in the operation of belt heel breast scouring machines, there is very quickly a tendency of the belt to become unevenly stretched, and that it is necessary, for the best results, to control the sidewise travel of the belt, as well as to provide means to take up the looseness or slackness along one edge, caused by the uneven stretching or wearing. Ac-

' cordingly, in the present machine I have provided means to cause the belt to run correctly on the idlers as well as on the work' ing fixtures, by mounting one or more of the guide pulleys on an eccentric or nonconcentric axle, so that When the belt is stretched unevenly along one edge, a guide pulley may be at once adjusted to conform therewith and take up the looseness thus caused, thereby making the belt run evenly and smoothly over the working fixture.

Another important feature of the present apparatus is the provision of anti-friction adjustable belt guiding means to adjust the belt widthwise over the fixture, to have the outer edge run evenl with the topmost edge or part of the working fixture, so as to get down as fully and completely into the corner between the shank and top of the heel breast as the fixture itself does, the fixture being appropriately backed off or reversely beveled to provide proper clearance for the shank and to fit into this corner. These latter features, i. c. clearance of the fixtures to enable the same to operate satisfactorily on the acute angle between the heel breast and shank, as well as the adjusting device for difierent widths of belts, and to have the outer belt edge register with the top of the fixture, are shown in m prior copending application Serial No. wherein the broad disclosures thereof were made, but I prefer to incorporate the broad claims onthese features in the resent application, wherein the machine 0 the drawings substantially illustrates my improved and commercial machine.

Still other features of the invention are the oiling means for the fixture either with a plurality of rolls or with a single roll, and for the rotary adjustable width guide, pivoted and tensioned support for the fixture, and guard for the belts during their retractive movements.

Other features of the invention, novel combinations of parts, and details of construction will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side View of'my improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged views, side, plan and front views respectively, of a fixture with a plurality of rolls, illustrating the adjustable rotary guide for width of belt, and the oiling arrangement; ,Figs. 6 and 7 are rear and cross sectional views respectively of a fixture with single r ollv I I v 8 and 9 are plan and front views of a plain curved fixture adapted to correspond with the curve of the heel breasting knife on which the shoe to be operated upon is rested.

Fig. 10 is a rear view of the fixture illustrated inFigs. 4- and 5; and

Fig. 11 is a detail of the eccentric or nonconcentric bearing for one of the idlers.

A suitable standard 1 carries in its upper portion a horizontal quadrant or frame 2, provided with a slot 3 in the form of an are, said frame having journal bearings 1 for a shaft 5. The quadrant is preferably formed with slight adjustment, about a circular bearing 6 in the top of the standard 1, a bolt 7 serving to hold said quadrant 2 firmly in position, and a plurality of holes 8 bored through both. the quadrant and the portion 6 of the frame, through which an adjusting in may be fitted, secures the desired adustment of the frame 2. This adjustment is in order to hold the working fixture at a suitable and desirable height for any operator. On one end of the shaft 5 is keyed a pulley 9 to which is led a driving belt 10 from any suitable source of power (not shown). The other end of said shaft 5 carries the drivin pulley 11 for the abrasive belt and wil be rotated at the same speed and in the same direction as the pul-- ley 9 is driven. About the shaft 5 also is secured a loose collar 12, said collar having an arm 13 carrying in its outer end a stud 14 on which an idler pulley 15 is secured. A spring 16 also wound about the hub of the collar 12 and having one .end engaging a stud 17 on the quadrant 2 and its other end 18 about the shank of the arm 13 is wound to exert a tension on the arm 13 and pulley 15 downwardly as a belt tightener, as will be explained. An adjustable guide holding arm 19, preferably J-shaped, is adapted to be carried by the quadrant 2 having a bolt 20 passing through the slot 3 of said quadrant, and tightened with a wrench handle 22. At the outer end of each arm are studs 23 and 24: carrying idle pulleys 25 and 26 respectively, these pulleys being held in line with the driving pulley 11 and tightener 15, already described. The arm 19 may be adjustably secured at any point desired throughout the extent permitted by the slot 3 in the quadrant 2, by loosening the bolt 20 and shifting the arm 19, then tightening the bolt by manipulation of the handle 22 serving to enew and 32 respectively. These links serve to hold and guide the arm 19 during its adjustments in the slot 3, so as to insure a substantial parallelogram alineinent of the several guide ulleys with the working fixture, so that su stantially the same length of belting will at all times be serviceable, irrespective of the position of the adjustable arm 19 and the angle with which the belting is drawn across the fixture, as will be described. At the forward end of the head 2, at the right viewing Fig. 1, is pivoted at 33, an arm 34 having its lower end formed as a hub 35, provided with a socket 36 to receive the shank of a working fixture.

A slot 37 is cut in the quadrant 2, concentric with the pivot 33, and adjacent the fixture carrying hub 35, to receive the stem of a thumb screw 38, the inner end of said thumb screw beingthreaded to engage a correspondingly tapped hole in the arm 34, said thumb screw having a hub portion 39 bearing against the other side of the head 2, so that the swinging arm 34 may be clamped in its desired adjusted position, or so that the thumb screw may be left sufficiently loose to permit the arm 3a. to swing on the pivot 33. I also prefer to provide means for exerting a spring tension outwardly on said arm 34c, so that the fixture itself will have provision for independent yielding. Accordingly, in a portion of the frame 2 I bore a socket 40 to receive a coiled spring 41, fitting within the outer end of said coiled spring, a headed plunger 42 with a milled end adapted to bear against a slightly hollowed recess 43 in the side of the arm 34:, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The fixture over which the abrading, buffing, or polishing belts are adapted to be drawn, may be of various forms and construction, but comprises a stem at adapted to fit within the socket 36 carried on the lower portion 35 of the arm 34:, said work ing fixture having its belt engaging surface extending substantially in vertical alinement with the idler pulleys 25 and 26 tightener 15 and driving pulley 11. I may secure the shank 44 in the socket 36 in any suitable manner, as by a set screw, but prefor to utilize a split bearing, uniting the two split portions by a bolt 45, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, firmly clamping the shank of the fixture in its position on the swinging arm 34:.

While I ma utilize a single abrading belt, preferably of sand paper, emery paper, or the like,or a polishing belt if desired, I prefer to utilize two belts, the abrading or sand paper belt being preferably of thin abrasive cloth and a sub-belt or carrier 47 of canvas, leather, or the like, to aid in securing high speed and an effective drive on the thin abrasive belt, as well as afford ing a substantial backing for the abrading belt over the working fixture, and also to enable the heavier sub-belt to receive the principal driving:- strain. Accordingly, I lead the heavier sub-belt around, the belt tightener pullev 15 as shown in Fig. 1, and lead the abrading belt 46 around the drive pulley 11, adjustable idlers 25 and 26 and the Working fixture, these being substantially in position at the four corners of a parallelogram, both belts being endless and the sub-belt 47 being of slightly greater length. To adjust the sub-belt on the apparatus, the pulley 15 is moved to the right viewing Fig. 1, against the tension of its tightening spring 16, and the belt d7 positioned. To adjust the abrading belt 46, the swinging ,arm 34 may be moved to the left (also viewing Fig. 1) and held in this position by tightening the hand clamping screw 38 until the abrading bel i6 is positioned, when the hand clamping screw 38 is loosened and the springs 16 and ll serve to exert proper tension on both belts to enable an effective drive from the pulley 11 to be obtained, as will be readily understood. on the are determined by the slot 3, which arc is of suitable radius so that the same lengths of belts may be utilized and the belts maintained taut, while the arm 19 is adjusted to any position permitted by the slot 3. When a sharply curved fixture is employed, it is desirable and necessary to shift the adjustable arm 19 so that the angle of the abrading belts as they approach and leave the fixture will provide suitable clear ance and be properly tangential to each end of the fixture, the provision for holding the fixture in the socket 86 also permitting adjustment of the same with relation to the draw or lead of the a'brading belt across the same.

It will be readily appreciated that, in operation upon heels which have been breasted with a knife of a very short radius, presenting a sharply curved heelbreast, it is desirable to use a correspondingly curved fixture and the lead of the belts to and from the fixture must provide suitable clearance so as to permitthe breast scouring operation to be performed in a proper and expeditious manner and not to scour unevenly, leaving a good line to the heel edge. This feature is of particular importance in a commercial machine, it being desirable, where possible to scour the entire heel breast of a shoe instantaneously and to have the abrading element act simultaneously on the entire curved heel breast from one edge to the other. My machine permits this to be accomplished and furthermore enables a The adjustment of the arm 19 is.

large variety of difierently arc'ed fixtures'to ing belt will tend to become stretched or loose along one edge, thus wearing unevenly and tending to be depressed on the pulleys, as well as to prevent proper action on the work, unless such looseness is taken up.

Accordingly, as illustrated in Fig. 11, I have provided an offset shaft 48 on which the pulley 25 may be mounted, this shaft having its other portion 49 adapted tobe secured in the bearing 28 with its axis at a slight angle to the axis of the shaft 48, as shown. A handle 50 permits this shaft to easily and quickly adjust the pulley 25 suihciently to take up any looseness in either side ofthe belt and to assure the belt tracking properly.

1 also find it desirable to provide a suction device; which will conduct the scour ings from the heel away, this constituting a usual blower conduit 51, attached to the column of the machine, and connected with any suitable blower or suction mechanism,

the scourings, sawdust, etc, from the work being received in a mouth 53 itCljZtCfiIlt and slightly below the position of the working fixture. I also prefer to provide a cover 54 hlnged at 55 to the blower conduit 51,

which cover will protect the belts 45 and i 47 as the same are led from the fixture to the drive pulley 11. When a new belt is applied,it is desirable to allow the springs 16 and 4:1 to automatically adjust the tension on the new belt, and when this has been accomplished the arm 34 carrying the working fixture may be firmly secured, if

desired by the hand clamping screw 38, in the position to which it has been auto matically forced bv the springs 16 and &1.

in using my improved machine, any suitable or desirable working fixture may be employed, several being illustrated in my said copending application. As explained in my said application, I prefer to form the working fixture on a curve or arc, or straight, or such form as may be identical with or concentric with the heel breasting knife forming the heel breast of the work being operated on. This permits me to scour the entire heel breast simultaneously and instantaneously. I also prefer tohave the working fixture provided with suitable clearance, so as to enable the abrading belt to get clear in the acute angle formed by the top of the heel breast and the shank of the shoe, and also to support the belt along its edge while performing this work. The latter feature is most important, and, although this application on this point is a piece 56 bored or otherwise apcrtured at 57 to receive lubricant, a cap 58 closing this aperture. The base piece 56 is also bored to receive the ends of a plurality of mail spindles 59, each carrying a sleeve 60 freely rotatable thereon, said spindles bei secured by set screws 61 in the base 56. To hold the other end of the spindle 59 and to secure each sleeve roller 60 in place, I provide a curved cap 62 rigidly secured to the base 56 by a stem 63 fitting in a socket in said base and secured thereto by a set screw 64: (seeFig. 10). This cap 62 is beveled or backed 0E, as shown at 65, and is of an appropriate acute angle to provide sufficient clearance for the shank of the shoe when the shank and heel breast are at an acute angle. The bored sockets in the base 56 for. the spindles 59 are preferably continued to intercept the receptacle 57 containing lubricant, and any suitable means may be utilized to transmit the lubricant from said recess up to the spindles and sleeves, the rotation of the sleeves naturally tending to draw or suck the lubricant to the bearings. It will be understood that the spindles 59 are placed or positioned in straight or curved lines and the cap .62 is similarly formed to conform substantially with the form of the particular work in hand, i. e. for the particular curve of heel breast to be operated upon, and consequently that the surface of the rollers 60 over which the abrading and carrying belts pass will be similarly curved. I prefer to equip such a fixture with a belt guide which may be adjustable so as to enable any width of belt desired to be used on the fixture and to have the topmost edge of the belt regis= ter with the extreme upper portion of the cap 62. For this purpose I provide at the side of the fixture on which the abrading belt first reaches the fixture in its line of travel, a rotary rest 66 across which the lower edge of the belts may slide, said rest having a stem 67 fitting within a sleeve 68, said sleeve resting in a vertically bored recess 69 withinthe base 56, substantially as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. A. cotter pin 70 through the bottom of the stem 67 will act to retain the same in engagement with its containing sleeve 68. Perpendicularly to the bore 69, I provide a threaded passage 71 to receive the stem of a correspondingly threaded thumb screw 72, adapted to intercept and bear upon the sleeve 68, and hold the same in any vertically adjusted position desired. I also bore throughthe sleeve 68 a plurality of holes 73, the bored recess 69 opening into the lubricant reressti'i, so that litbricant may also be supplied to the rotating spindle within the sleeve 68. This arrangement greatly facilitates the smooth running of the abrading belt, leading it across to the vworking face of the rollers 60 in re or gosition, and with a construction a' or a of friction.

The fixture illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is a somewhat modified form, having a base piece 74 fitted on'to or formed integrally with the attached shank d et and provided with a bored aperture 75 in which is fitted a stem 76 held in adjusted position by a set screw 77, said stem having formed on its outer surface a beveled cap 78, having its surface beveled or backed 0E at 7 9, and securing the rotatable sleeve or shell 80. As clearly shown in Fig. 7, the carrier and abrading belts 417 and 4.6 respectively areled across the roller 80, and across the front portion of the cap 7 8, thus enabling the abradiug belt to be supported along its extreme outer edge where it scours the heel breast right up to and. including the line of junction between the shank and the shoe heel. If desired, the rotatable and adjustable width guide 66 may be appliedto this form of fixture or to any other. In the particular form illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, I may prefer to recess the outer portion of the cap 78, as shown at 83, leaving a very small frictionv portion 84 which bears upon the rotatable member 80. This construction, re-

ducing the friction, noise, and wearing of the bearing, is of considerable importance in this style of fixture. In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a simple form of fixture which,.

however, is intended to correspond as closely as possible with the curve of the heel to be breasted." In this type of fixture the base piece 81 has fitted therein a plain curved plate 82 sufiiciently thin so that it will not require to be beveled or backed ofi' atits topmost portion, similar to the bevels 79 and 65 already described in connection with the fixtures of Figs. 6 and 7, and Figs. 3, 4,-

and 5 respectively. In this form also,-the

abrading belt is adapted to be supported along its edge portion as the same scours the extreme part of the heel breast adjacent the shoe shank, which feature is of the greatest importance in a machine of the class described. It will be appreciated that the beveled cap 62, or 78, may be employed entirely independently of the rollers or roll carrying the main width of the abrading belt, so long as thecap conforms'substantially with the contour of the rest of the fixture and is beveled or backed ofi' to enable the entire fixture to be positioned into the extreme angle between the heel breast and shank and support the abrading belt at this important and dificult point. I prefer to form'the cap 62 or 7 8 as apart of the antiherein shown, but wish to claim this feature in the presentapplication, broadly..

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described, comprising a support, a head secured to said support, having a guide pulley mounted on said head and a fixture adjustably and yield ingly mounted thereon opposite to said guide pulley, a slideway in the form of an arm carried by said head, an arm carrying guide pulley coiiperating with said fixed pulley and said fixture, and means to adjust said arm and pulleys throughout the extent of the arc of said 'dewa-y, whereby an abrading belt extenc ing around all of said pulleys and over said fixture will be maintained under substantially equal tension throughout the e tent of said adjustment.

prising a support, a head pivo'tally secured to said support, having a guide pulley mounted on said head and a fixture adjustably and yieldingly mounted thereon opposite to said guide pulley, a slideway in the form of an are substantially intersecting the said fixture and fixed pulley carried by said head, an arm carrying guide pulleys coiiperating with fixed pulley and said fixture, and means to adjust said arm and pulleys throughout the extent of the arc of said guideway, and an abrading belt engaging the pulleys and fixture, whereby adjustment of said arm and movable pulleys maintains the abrading belt under substantially equal tension throughout said adjustment.

8. A machine of the class described, comprising a support, a head pivotally and adjustably secured to said support, said head carrying a fixed guide pulley, a movable fixture mounted on a pivoted support, yielding means to normally press said fixture outwardly, a belt tightener movably mounted and yielding means of difi erent tension on said belt tigh'tener than on said fixture, a guideway on the head in the form of an are,

which are substantially intersects the outer 1 surface or" the working fixture in normal position, an adjustable arm carrying guide pulleys and means to adjust said arm in said are, an abrading belt led over all said pulleys and said fixture, the adjustment of the pulleys on said arm in the curved guideway leading the abrasive belt toward and from the fixture in an angular position with Suficient spread for the belt to clear the forepart of a shoe, while its heel is being appliedto the belt in alinement with said fixture, whereby the adjustment of the arm and pulleys enables belts of equal length to be used under substantially the same tension with fixtures of varying contours.

at. A machine of the class described, hav- A. machine of the class described, com- 1 ing a working fixture formed with an antifnction belt supporting portion and astationary belt supporting portion, an endless belt adapted to be led over said fixture,

guides to control the pathof movement of 4 said belt relatively with saidfixture, means to adjust one of said guides to" take up looseness along one edge of the belt to compensate for uneven stretching, and to control the path of travel of said belt over both the supporting portions of the fixture.

5. A machine of the class described, having a working fixture, a guide wheel adjacent said fixture over which an endless belt is adapted to be led, means to adjust the belt engaging surfaceof said guide to compensa'te for uneven stretching and control the path of movement of the belt consisting of an eccentric rotatable spindle supporting the guide.

6. A machine of the class described, co1nprising a. working fixture mounted upon 'a pivoted support, a plurality of guide pulleys adjacent said fixture, an endless carrier belt drawn over said guide pulleys and said fixture, an endless abrading belt similarly led over the guide pulleys and said fixture, automatic belt tightening means applied to the carrier belt and independent yielding means applied to the pivoted fixture support and of greater tension than said carrier belt means, the yielding tension on the pivoted fixture support normally holding both belts and said fixture into yielding work engaging position.

A machine of the class described, havinga working fixture adapted to support an abrading belt width-wise and along one edge of said belt, said fixture having an antifriction belt supporting portion and a rigid edgesupporting portion, with said edge sup porting portion beveled to clear the shoe shank.

8. A machine of the class described, having a working fixture adapted to support an abrading belt widthwise and along one edge of said belt, said fixture having rotatable means to support the main width of said belt ,and rigid means to support the edge portion, said rigid supporting means being beveled to afi'ord clearance to the shank working fixture having an anti-friction part and a rigid part adapted to support an abrading belt at the work engaging portion of said belt, said fixture comprising the combination of a rotative belt sup-port and a stationary edge support for the belt, the stationary support being constructed and arranged to enter the acute angle in the heel breast and shank of a shoe.

11, In a machine of the kind described, a Working fixture adapted to support an abrading belt at the work engaging portion of said bent, said fixture comprising the combination of a rotative belt supporting surface and a stationary edge support for thebelt,

the stationary support being constructed and arranged to enter the acute angle in the heel breast and shank of a shoe, each supporting surface aiiording a backing for the belt independent of the other.

12. In a machine of the kind described, a

Working fixture adapted to support an abrading belt at the work engaging portion of said belt, said fixture comprisingthe comanti enic the belt of similar convex form, the stationary support being constructed and arranged to enter the acute angle in the heel breast and shank'of a shoe.

13. A machine of the class described, comgriising a Working fixture having an anti- 'ction portion and a rigid portion, an endless abrading belt adapted to be drawn thereover, an adjustable support for said fixture, means to force the fixture into engagement with said belt, and independent belt tightening means to maintain the belt tight.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

LOUIS Gr. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

ALFRED M. AMEN, I BENJ. W. FREEMAN, 

